Author Topic: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)  (Read 3381 times)

Offline John Kim

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DH gives 7/8 (performance/sound) rating to YNS/Philadelphia Orchestra/DG Rachmaninov First + Symphonic Dances.

I beg to differ and would give it a hearty 10/9.

Sure enough, YNS's reading may not be as passionate and grueling as Ashkenazy or Svetlanov. But he brings the First Symphony into a cohesive whole like no other conductor did, so brilliantly that the music sounds utterly unified and refreshing, and that is not a small feat for any conductor.

John
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 07:42:32 PM by John Kim »

Offline erikwilson7

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2021, 07:47:53 PM »
I'll take your word for it. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the First Symphony or the Symphonic Dances. I do like Symphonies 2 and 3 a lot, however. I saw Edo de Waart conduct Rach's Symphony No. 2 in Milwaukee early last year and it was wonderful.

I have heard that the Ashkenazy is the reference recording for Symphony No. 1.

Offline John Kim

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2021, 08:30:15 PM »
Erik,

Rachmaninov's First symphony is a great piece of music IMO on par with the Second and certainly the Third. It's been vastly misunderstood and underappreciated, however. Its premiere (conducted by Glazunov) was a disaster and Rachmaninov, frustrated and depressed, couldn't write another score for the next three years. The version we know and hear now was reconstructed circa 1945(?) not by the composer but buy a music scholar. Had Rach revisited and improved it, it would have become a masterpiece. Still, as it is it packs plenty of musical ingenuity and inspirations.

Yes, the Ashkenazy has been rightly praised for its precision as well as fire and grueling quality, but YNS succeeds in totally different aspects - cogency and idiomacy.

John

Offline John Kim

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2021, 08:31:20 PM »
For a Mahlerian like me, of the three Rach symphonies this one comes closest to my heart.

Offline John Kim

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2021, 08:39:48 PM »
I saw Barry also gave a rave review of the disc on amazon!  8)

Offline ChrisH

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2021, 09:04:22 PM »
A good friend is also raving about it. I have not yet had a chance to listen. He is, kind of an expert on this work. When he was 10, in 1956, he got copy of the score from the Library of Congress, and hand copied it over the 6 weeks he had it in his possession. He says to me, "You know, we couldn't just order a Dover score over Amazon back then."

I enjoy all of Rachs orchestral works but, first discovered him when my roommate in high school performed the 2nd piano concerto for our concerto competition. He then turned me on to the rest of his works through the course of the year.

Offline barryguerrero

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2021, 12:14:13 AM »
D.H. clearly does not like Nezet-Seguin's work. I do. I have this and would give it a 10/10. I'm happy with it and I don't care what anyone else thinks.

Offline erikwilson7

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2021, 01:38:25 AM »
I think YNS is one of the most versatile conductors out there right now. I like just about everything he does. Even his polarizing Bruckner cycle!

Offline Freddy van Maurik

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2021, 04:15:28 PM »
Hi all,

I wholeheartedly second Barry's 10/10. I also like Yannick N-S's work in general, and this one ranks among the best, imho.
The recording lets us feast our ears on the lavishly beautiful orchestral playing (on thát I agree with D.H.) and N-S gives us perfectly convincing broad tempi and wonderfully prepared climaxes. To me this is by no means "passionless", as D.H. puts it.

Cheers,
Freddy

Offline erikwilson7

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2021, 04:24:16 PM »
Respectfully, I think DH cherry picks his conductors. I'm sure he has his reasons.

Offline barryguerrero

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2021, 06:50:53 PM »
Furthermore, if you listen to Rach's only piano playing, you hear that he was anything but a 'hyterical' pianist. He certainly didn't pound the keyboard. His playing was fleet and elegant.

D.H. and I are friends, so I don't want to delve into this too deeply in a public forum. But I think he gives only a short rope to today's conductors. And once somebody is on his poop list, it takes almost a miracle for them to get off that list. It started with Rattle, whom I'm also not always so crazy about. In this regard, D.H. isn't terribly different than Norman Lebrecht or a number of other people. N-S. may not be the most perfect conductor in the world. But in regards to Philadelphia, he's clearly the right person at the right time. He's the best they've had since Muti in his early years. Sawallisch was a great musician, but not terribly inspiring in his Philadelphia years. Eschenbach could be really strange, somewhat like Maazel. In some respects, I think N-S. is even superior to Ormandy (but not in all respects). They could have done much, much worse.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2021, 07:55:41 PM by barryguerrero »

Offline erikwilson7

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2021, 07:37:39 PM »
I don't know much about the Philly O or their history, but YNS seems to be a perfect fit, I agree. Plus, I've heard his work with the Met is very good.

I agree with your comments about DH. Vanska is on his poop list since the M5 release (CD from Hell!), and he gives Vanska a hard time now. Come on, it's not THAT bad. Most of the following releases have now been met with similar disdain. He actually just uploaded a video about "conductors behaving badly," and his insight is very interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haxYUHszWxo

PS: I think the "hotshot young conductor" he was talking about with an "orchestra that has already recorded the music several times" and who he "wasn't particularly impressed with" is probably Andris Nelsons and the Bruckner recordings from Leipzig. He hasn't liked any of them yet. Someone else in the comments guessed Dudamel. I can see it being either.

Offline John Kim

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2021, 11:04:26 PM »
YNS did a fantastic M10th (Cooke) with BRSO. That archive should have been included in the BRSO Mahler box set.

John

Offline erikwilson7

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2021, 11:50:45 PM »
He seems to love that work. He already has two recordings of it. I like them both a lot, and was recently turned on to the Rotterdam one. One of my new favorites.

Offline waderice

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Re: YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2021, 11:58:54 AM »
He seems to love that work. He already has two recordings of it. I like them both a lot, and was recently turned on to the Rotterdam one. One of my new favorites.
I heard him do M10 live here in Philadelphia a few years ago.  It was excellent.

Wade

 

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